Speak Our Minds

What’s the most significant barrier facing youth and families when it comes to mental health care? Today, Dr. Benjamin Miller, a leading expert in mental health and adjunct faculty at Stanford School of Medicine, joins us to unpack the pressing challenges and opportunities in reforming the youth mental health system. Drawing on his extensive experience, Dr. Miller sheds light on key issues, such as the ongoing struggle for access to care, the complexities of navigating fragmented systems, and the importance of equity in mental health services. He also delves into the vital role of schools and communities in delivering care and the need for innovative approaches to system reform. Tune in as Dr. Miller shares his thoughts on how Colorado’s efforts can serve as a model for other states, while also emphasizing the importance of public accountability and community engagement in creating meaningful change. Don’t miss this insightful conversation on the future of youth mental health care!
 
 
Key Points From This Episode:

• Common themes from advocates on what needs system reform in youth mental health.
• How different states are spending their time, energy, and resources on youth mental health.
• Suggested reforms for how schools can deliver more effective mental health care.
• What the current administration has done to invest in resources for mental health in schools.
• The Colorado class-action lawsuit; failing to provide essential youth mental health services.
• Dr. Miller’s insights on ensuring that the state complies with the settlement agreement.
• Why building a culture of shared accountability is essential for impactful change.
• Challenges with major reforms; creating new structures, not just tweaking existing ones.
• What mental health care can learn from successful companies about creative reforms.
• Colorado’s complex mental health system; how to simplify it for better effectiveness.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Benjamin Miller on LinkedIn

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Heidi Baskfield

There is still a long way to go to solve the children and youth mental health crisis in Colorado. But there are many hardworking people creating solutions across our state. One such person is the Director of Human Services for Weld County, Jamie Ulrich, and she joins us today to share her journey to direct service, day-to-day problem-solving work, and insights on what is most needed in our state. Unpacking what children and youth are struggling with most, Jamie highlights the need to establish better lower levels of care and step-down placements. She also gets into the weeds with how we can bring strategies that are working in other states to Colorado so that we don’t have to send children and youth out of state to receive the care that they need. Next, Jamie shares why she sees the Settlement Agreement as a starting point and a positive stepping stone to eventually get to our overall comprehensive system of care. She also outlines her view on what is truly at stake when kids do not receive the support and care that they need. Tune in to hear the first-hand account of someone truly working hard to end Colarado’s youth mental health crisis. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Weld County Director of Human Services Jamie Ulrich unpacks the details of her day-to-day job. 
• What drew Jamie to direct service and helping the people in her community.
• Unpacking the areas of Weld County and how it is structured.
• How the Department supports children and youth with a focus on economic support.
• The most common front door for kids to enter into Jamie’s programs. 
• Biggest frustrations faced by the department: the lack of services and placements.
• Navigating through the complex system of support. 
• Insights on what children and youth are struggling with today. 
• Emphasizing that we should not be sending children out of state to receive the services that they need. 
• Understanding the variety of challenges faced by our youth across America. 
• The need to become experts in youth needs and available facilities specific to your county.
• Why it is necessary to see a decline in the number of youth living in stopgap settings. 
• Senate Bill 59 and what originally led to its creation. 
• Support, funding, and advocacy for the Bill.
• Scaling support based on the Medicaid population for the insured and underinsured. 
• How counties are working towards ensuring that this work happens and happens well in the State of Colorado. 
• What is truly at stake when kids do not receive the support and care that they need.
• Jamie’s hope for what the Settlement Agreement will mean for the youth of Colorado.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Jamie Ulrich on LinkedIn

Weld County Department of Human Services

Colorado Department of Human Services
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Heidi Baskfield

What can a landmark lawsuit from Massachusetts teach us about improving mental health care for youth in Colorado? Joining us today to unpack this question is Dr. David Keller, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Vice Chair of Clinical Strategy and Transformation at Children's Hospital Colorado, and co-chair of the Legislative Committee for the Colorado chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (APP). A key figure in pediatric healthcare, Dr. Keller is also an expert on the Rosie D. v. Romney lawsuit: the foundational Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) case that has influenced similar legal actions across the country. In today's episode, Dr. Keller discusses the lessons from Rosie D. and how they apply to Colorado's ongoing efforts to build a comprehensive mental health care system for our youth. He shares insights from his experience with the case, emphasizing the importance of engaging the primary care community and the value of broad stakeholder involvement in driving systemic change. We also explore the practical steps needed to implement these changes in Colorado, from policy adjustments to community engagement strategies. Whether you're a concerned parent, mental health professional, or advocate, this episode offers a deep dive into the legal battles and the hopeful path forward for Colorado's youth!
 
 
Key Points From This Episode:

• Dr. David Keller's background and his leading roles in pediatric healthcare.
• An overview of the Rosie D. v. Romney lawsuit and its outcomes.
• The transformative impact of the Rosie D. lawsuit on youth mental health services.
• Lessons from the Rosie D. case and their application to Colorado's mental health system.
• Why broad stakeholder engagement in building effective mental health systems is essential.
• The critical role of primary care in preventing severe mental health crises in children.
• Designing a system and implementing a plan that fully supports primary care.
• Current challenges and opportunities in Colorado's youth mental health care systems.
• Details about the Colorado Pediatric Psychiatry Consultation and Access Program.
• Dr. Keller’s thoughts on I Matter and the allocation of resources for these types of programs.
• Lessons from Massachusetts' experience that could guide Colorado's efforts.
• Insights for concerned parents, mental health professionals, and advocates.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. David Keller

Dr. David Keller on LinkedIn

Rosie D. and Me blog

CoPPCAP | Colorado Pediatric Psychiatry Consultation and Access Program

I Matter.
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Heidi Baskfield

What does a successful system of care look like for the youth of Colorado? During this episode, Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet is an advocate for youth mental health motivated by her own experience of trying to find the necessary support for her son’s complex needs. Kicking off our conversation, she shares her own story of advocating for a struggling child and how it ignited her passion for youth mental health in Colorado. Led by the hope that other kids will not have to go through the same things as her son, she uses her position to bring about meaningful change in the legislature. Hear more about her efforts to create a neuropsychological facility, the neverending challenge of opening up more placement opportunities, and the root of the most significant obstacles limiting progress in this area. Senator Michaelson Jenet expands on the idea of a successful system of care, where it begins, and why there is such a sense of urgency around this topic. Join us for a realistic look at the realities faced by our youth and a hopeful look at what the future might hold. Thanks for listening!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet.
• Why she is passionate about the topic of youth mental health.
• Volunteering at juvenile facilities in Colorado. 
• The biggest challenges she faced while trying to meet her son’s needs.
• Working in the legislature to create the necessary support for the youth of Colorado. 
• Senator Michaelson Jenet’s thoughts on why it has been so difficult to create progress in this area.
• How education about behavioral health has progressed. 
• New opportunities that stem from reform efforts to ensure that young Medicaid recipients get what they need.
• What a successful system of care means for youth and where it begins. 
• The risks faced when a system is unsuccessful at responding to the needs of our youth.
• How State leaders can ensure that stakeholder processes are done well.
• Why there is a sense of urgency around this topic.
• The model provided by New Jersey and how it is guiding decision-making in Colorado. 
• How you can get involved in advocating for legislative change. 
• What is behind Senator Michaelson Jenet’s belief that positive change is coming. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet

Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet on Facebook

Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet on X

Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet on Instagram

Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet Email

Colorado State Assembly

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Heidi Baskfield

When you’re first seeking care for your child, how do you know what to ask for? During this episode, we are joined by someone who has navigated many challenging circumstances in her personal fight for youth mental health. Kristin Stark is a mother supporting her daughter, Cecilia, as she navigates a wide variety of needs. Speaking to her really helps us bring to life the reasons behind the lawsuit and the need for mental health support. Kristin shares some of the challenges and trauma she and her daughter faced before meeting an advocate who advised her to get a case worker. In this conversation, Kristin draws a contrast between the support she found in Denver versus Wisconsin, offering her hard-won insights into what needs to change in Colorado. Sharing honestly from her lived experience, she speaks about the complexities of her child’s mental health needs, from medication and living conditions to education and hospital care. Join us as we illustrate the model of care that Wisconsin creates for the rest of the State, and how we can begin to embody more of its approach to caring for our youth. Thanks for listening! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing Kristin Stark and some background on the challenges her daughter faces.
• The biggest needs that her daughter faces, with a focus on crisis support.
• What first led her to seek a diagnosis and where she started this journey. 
• Finally getting an autism diagnosis after receiving guidance from a public school.
• In-patient hospital stays and emergency visits leading up to this point. 
• The story of a disappointing emergency room experience. 
• How meeting an advocate changed the process for Kristin and Cecilia. 
• Choosing the next steps for herself and her child after Cecilia went into residential care.
• What their lives are like now after obtaining housing and finding care for her child in the County Program. 
• The combination of medication and living conditions that is necessary to support Cecilia. 
• How the approach to supporting young people differs in Denver and Wisconsin. 
• What the system should do: help you to identify what you need and link you up to those services.
• How Wisconsin acts as a model of care for the rest of the State.
• Connecting to other parents with similar experiences or stories. 
• What Kristin wants people to know and do differently in Colorado. 
• Why it is so important for supporting partners to work together.
• Closing insights from Kristin about what the State of Colorado can do differently. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Speak Our Minds on Instagram

Speak Our Minds on YouTube
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Speak Our Minds on X

Speak Our Minds

Heidi Baskfield

Welcome to Speak Our Minds: The Fight for Youth Mental Health, a podcast that delves into the inspiring journeys of youth mental health advocates who took a stand to transform the system. Together with your host and seasoned public affairs expert, Heidi Baskfield, we’ll explore the landmark class-action lawsuit that held the state of Colorado accountable for failing to provide essential youth mental health services. In each episode, we’ll unpack the intricacies of the lawsuit, guiding you through the legal battles and the monumental settlement that set the foundation for a functioning mental health system. Today, we are joined by Kim Lewis, an attorney representing the plaintiffs in this case and a well-known figure in large class-action Medicaid lawsuits. In this discussion, Kim shares her extensive experience and insights into the case, shedding light on the challenges encountered, the legal strategies implemented, reasons to be optimistic, the broader implications for youth mental health services, and so much more. For a deeper understanding of the fight for youth mental health reform, the legal process behind systemic changes, and how these developments could impact you and your community, be sure to tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Insight into Kim’s career journey, advocacy background, and how it led her to this case.
• Perspectives on the Colorado case and how it compares with cases in other states.
• Three key elements of the system reform sought by this lawsuit.
• Challenges presented by the current mental health care system in Colorado.
• Reasons that Kim is optimistic about the outcome of the settlement agreement.
• Factors of an effective and pragmatic implementation plan.
• Why it's important to turn skeptical stakeholders into believers.
• Kim’s responsibility as a lead attorney on this case to represent stakeholder voices.
• The value of family-run organizations that parents can rely on as partners.
• What sets this lawsuit and settlement agreement apart from others like it.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Kim Lewis

Kim Lewis on LinkedIn

National Health Law Program

Speak Our Minds

Speak Our Minds on Instagram

Speak Our Minds on Facebook

Speak Our Minds on YouTube

Speak Our Minds on X

Heidi Baskfield